» Media Center » Parents and Students Raise Lacrosse Sticks in Protest
For Immediate Release
May 1, 2009
Contact: Robin Yates
Email:
Parents and Students Raise Lacrosse Sticks in Protest
Martin County School Board Denies Lacrosse at High Schools
May 6, 2009-- Stuart, Florida: Travel by Jock Leighton Park in Palm City any night of the week and you will see legions of boys and girls running and wielding sticks with nets in the air. They are pioneers. That is, participants of Martin County Pioneer Lacrosse (MCPL). In fact, lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States and youth participation has grown over 500% since 1999 to nearly 250,000. At the college level there are 500 college clubs including nearly 200 women’s teams that compete at the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates level.
Martin County public school students can play lacrosse but only until 8th grade. In 2006, the Martin County School Board issued a ruling banning self-funded athletic clubs, despite that fact that there are 82 Florida lacrosse high school boys’ teams who compete statewide under Florida High School Athletic Association guidelines.
There have been repeated and organized attempts by parents but the school board has refused to reverse its ruling for reasons that shift with the seasons. Not ready to take “NO” for an answer, Friends of High School Lacrosse for Martin County (FSHL) was formed in 2008 by several parents as a not-for-profit organization to raise funds and advocate for the reversal of the school board policy on club sports and to allow the formation of self-funded lacrosse programs in the three area public high schools.
Despite discussions since 2006 regarding insurance, costs, equipment and use of fields for lacrosse, the Martin County School District has refused to change its stance. Superintendent Nancy Kline has voiced support to the FHSL for the addition of lacrosse in the high schools and has agreed to review policies that resulted in the changes of club sports status for boys and girls lacrosse. But without the support of the School Board members, nothing can be done. For high school girls, competitive play exists with other area high schools as a formal athletic program. Repeated requests have been made to the School Board and the individual schools to add girls’ lacrosse as a varsity program. Athletic directors would garner greater flexibility in doing so to adhere to Title IX provisions.
"The high school athletic departments should represent the interests of all students with budgets allocated based on participation. No sport or activity happens without aggressive fundraising on the part of the students and family members, yet the School Board has repeatedly used lack of funding as the major barrier,” stated Diane Kimes, President of FSHL. “Just give our kids an even playing field. Football, cheerleading and track must raise about $500-$1000 per athlete to participate. We want a chance to do the same for lacrosse, one of the fastest growing sports in America."
This spring, in an effort to keep high school youth active in the sport, 45 boys from Jensen Beach, Martin County and South Fork High Schools completed an eight-week lacrosse training and development program in anticipation of competing in the 2010 Interscholastic Associate Lacrosse Season. More than 20 girls did the same as they played intramural games, hoping for the same opportunity to play competitively in 2010.
As college costs continue to rise and family incomes shrink, parents are increasingly looking for all kinds of scholarships. In fact, athletic departments at NCAA colleges spend in excess of $4 billion per year on their athletic programs. Roughly one quarter of their budget or $1 billion is awarded annually as scholarships to student-athletes. “Why should our children be denied the right to excel at a sport they enjoy and perhaps receive scholarship funds for college?” asked Kimes.
MCPL & FHSL BACKGROUND:
MCPL began in 2005 with interest from 120 boys and girls and in just four full seasons has grown to more than 300 players, ages 6 to 14, participating on 11 teams. In 2008, Palm Beach Gardens High School won a state championship largely on the strength of their youth feeder program Palm Beach Gardens Youth Athletic Association. In 2009, the story was much the same for W.T. Dwyer High School.
MCPL is also a founding member of the South Florida Youth Lacrosse League, an organization that governs 10 other community programs which compete in Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties. Total participation in the league is more than 3,000 boys and girls, K through 8th grades.
Christopher Anderson, a founder and President of the Martin County Pioneer Lacrosse, initiated original applications and it continues to be championed by hundreds of parents and community leaders.
For more information or to offer support of lacrosse in area high schools, Contact FHSL
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